My Thoughts: “You love life because life's all there is. There's no God and that's His only Commandment.”

Ultimately, this book is a love letter to life, and to living life as fully as possible. It's by parts heartbreaking, hilarious, and always a wonderful story. It has the most beautiful language. The humor is an often-subtle thing, although at times it bordered on farce. I repeatedly laughed at Jake's constant comments about “if this were a movie” or “if I were on Buffy” or “If this were the book version...” I thought that was hilarious. In fact, most of the dialogue—whether it was internal or with someone else—was just priceless.

I think the best way to really give you an idea of what it is I mean is to share a few of the quotes I highlighted while reading:

“You love life because life’s all there is. There’s no God and that’s His only Commandment.”

“I still have feelings but I'm sick of having them. Which is another feeling I'm sick of having.”

“The whole disease of your life written but for that last lesion of the heart, its malignancy and muse.”

“She pulled her chin in at the absurdity of that, glanced away to the invisible documentary-maker who’s always with her. Madeline’s narcissism reconfigures awkward moments as opportunities for into-camera astonishment.”

“There's always someone's father, someone's mother, someone's wife, someone's son. This is the problem with killing and eating people. One of the problems.”

“Oh God,” he said, quietly. “You don’t know what it’s like with her.”
“For the love of Mary,” I said. “I get it, she’s got a nifty twat.”

Do you see what I mean? The lyricalness of the narrative, the humor of the dialogue (internal and external). There is really nothing but to read it for yourself. Highly recommended. I'm very excited to move on to the sequel, Talulla Rising, and more determined than ever to pick up I, Lucifer.

Disclosure: I bought this book for myself. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Meet Jake. A bit on the elderly side (he turns 201 in March), but you'd never suspect it. Nonstop sex and exercise will do that for you—and a diet with lots of animal protein. Jake is a werewolf, and after the unfortunate and violent death of his one contemporary, he is now the last of his species. Although he is physically healthy, Jake is deeply distraught and lonely.

Jake's depression has carried him to the point where he is actually contemplating suicide—even if it means terminating a legend thousands of years old. It would seem to be easy enough for him to end everything. But for very different reasons there are two dangerous groups pursuing him who will stop at nothing to keep him alive.